PRINCESS MIRANDA LEARNS A LESSON

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 23

PRINCESS MIRANDA LEARNS A LESSON

Miranda was a young princess, beautiful as the day. Her long hair was golden as the sunshine, her eyes as blue as the summer sun, and her cheeks as pink as rosebuds. She was dressed in a long pink satin gown, embroidered with white daisies, and wore tiny pink and white slippers. But was she happy? Oh, dear no! Though she had a beautiful garden to play in, toys and exquisite clothes, she was always cross and discontented. When her nurse was showing her how to embroider or weave she > would' throw down Tier work and stamp on it angrily! , Then, one day she happened to be riding in her royal coach through the country when she saw a pretty, but rather dirty little peasant girl, the same age and size as herself, sitting on a stile. “Oh!” cried the princess,' “there Is a little girl just like me. I must go and speak to her!” “Oh, no! your highness.. Look, she is wearing rags. Do not go near hgr, I beg,” protested. Miranda’s nurse. But the princess insisted, and going over to the child, touched her and said: “Good ; morrow, little girl. What are you doing?” ’■ The peasant child stared at the princess with surprise, and looked

with wondering eyes at her beautiful clothes. . “Oh, are you a princess,” she cried. “How lucky you are! Fancy never having to: milk'the cows and wear rags like me. .1 should love to be a princess!” . , . “Oh, .but you are lucky. To never have to learn tiresome things like sewing, but play all day in the fields must be great fun. How I wish I was in your place!” She gazed enviously at ifltiatiaitinittaMiittaiiatiiifßitinar'aiianitititaniiiViiafiJ usitiueiuiii

Matilde, the peasant girl. Suddenly she said: “I know; we'll change places. No one will see any difference!” So, scampering off behind a hedgerow the two delighted girls changed clothes, and in a moment Matilde, clad I in the royal clothes, stepped into the carriage and drove off. Miranda was now left behind in the peasant’s rags, with a joyous feeling of freedom On reaching the castle Matilde was sent to supper. She had never before such wonderful food, and had no knowledge of the use of fork or spoon. “How careless and awkward the princess has become, Why, her manners are so disgraceful you would hardly know her!” whispered one of the courtiers to another. For a week poor Matilde bore it all, < till at last, in despair, thoroughly sick i Of all the court, and bewildered with 1 the many duties she had to perform, i she begged to be taken back to the < country. The nurse, who was now J used to her queer manners, allowed < her to drive once more into the coun- I try, and so Matilde came to the stile 1

where she had first met Miranda. Sitting on the stile, still dressed in rags, was the princess. She was weeping bitterly, and on seeing Matilde ran toward her with outstretched arms, ‘‘Oh, give me back my clothes,” she cried. “Take me back to my dear nurse, and my beautiful garden. I have been treated badly. I have been hit, and have had to milk those terrible cows! Oh dear!” With a glad heart Matilde put her rags on once more, and singing cheerily, skipped away over the meadows, free from life at the castle. As for Miranda; she was a changed princess. She now took an interest in her occupations, and grew to love her sewing, and wandered about in her garden with a happy, contented heart.—• Original, by “Little Shamrock,” Has-J tings.